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HPD ARX-03a/b/c

The No. 21 ARX-03c during the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans
Category	Le Mans Prototype LMP1 and LMP2
Constructor	HPD (Wirth)
Designer(s)	Nick Wirth
Predecessor	Acura ARX-01, Acura ARX-02
Successor	HPD ARX-04b
Technical specifications
Chassis	Carbon fibre monocoque
Suspension (front)	Double wishbone with adjustable toe, camber, ride heights. Four-way damber units with separate coil springs, pushrods with anti-roll bars
Suspension (rear)	Double wishbone with adjustable toe, camber, ride heights. Four-way damber units with separate coil springs, pushrods with anti-roll bars
Width	2000 mm
Height	1030 mm
Engine	03a/c: Honda AR6-LMV8 3.4-litre naturally aspirated V8 03b: Honda HR28TT 2.8-litre V6 turbocharged
Transmission	HPD-Hewland 6 sequential with manual paddle-operated selection
Weight	900 kg
Fuel	IMSA: VP MS100 E10, 100-octane gasoline + 10% ethanol WEC: – Elf LM24 E10, 101-octane gasoline + 10% ethanol
Tyres	Michelin Dunlop
Competition history
Notable entrants	Muscle Milk Pickett Racing JRM Strakka Racing Starworks Motorsport Level 5 Motorsports Extreme Speed Motorsports
Debut	2012 12 Hours of Sebring
First win	2012 12 Hours of Sebring
Last win	2014 Monterey Grand Prix
Last event	2015 6 Hours of Silverstone
Races Wins 40 34
Teams' Championships	5 2012 FIA WEC LMP2 2012 ALMS P2 2013 ALMS P2 2012 ALMS P1 2013 ALMS P1
Constructors' Championships	4 2012 ALMS P2 2013 ALMS P2 2012 ALMS P1 2013 ALMS P1
Drivers' Championships	4 2012 ALMS P2 2013 ALMS P2 2012 ALMS P1 2013 ALMS P1

The HPD ARX-03a, ARX-03b, and ARX-03c are Le Mans Prototypes race cars developed by Honda Performance Development in 2012. The 03a model utilizes a Honda V8 engine for use in the LMP1 category, while the 03b uses a turbocharged V6 engine for the LMP2 category. Three teams have already announced their use of the ARX-03 in the FIA World Endurance Championship and the American Le Mans Series, as well as at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Muscle Milk Pickett Racing have purchased an 03a for use in the American Le Mans Series, joined by two 03bs for Level 5 Motorsports. In the 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship, Strakka Racing and JRM Racing campaigned a single 03a each, joined by a single-car 03b entry by Starworks Motorsport in LMP2.

Racing history

2012

The HPD ARX-03 made its racing debut at the 2012 12 Hours of Sebring. The race would be the opening round of both the American Le Mans Series and the brand new FIA World Endurance Championship seasons. Muscle Milk Pickett Racing campaign a brand new ARX-03a LMP1 car, while Level 5 Motorsports campaigned two LMP2 ARX-03bs in the American Le Mans Series. After some bad luck with a fueling hose at Sebring, the Muscle Milk team went on to win the next five races in a row as well as another win at Virginia International Raceway. At the seasons final race, Petit Le Mans, Lucas Luhr was hit by a GTC class Porsche. Despite repairs needed during the race, the team was able to complete 70% of the race in order to win points. Muscle Milk Pickett Racing won both the LMP1 drivers and team championships with just 5 points over their main rivals, Dyson Racing. The Level 5 Motorsports team took first in class at the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring and went on to win 7 of the next 9 races, losing only at Mosport and Road America to their main rivals, Conquest Endurance. The team was able to secure the LMP2 Teams' Championship and Drivers' Championships.

Strakka Racing, JRM and Starworks Motorsport would contest the first series of the brand new FIA World Endurance Championship. The Starworks team would claim three class victories including the season opening 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Le Mans and claim the LMP2 trophy with their HPD ARX-03b. Strakka Racing and JRM, competing with ARX-03a's, would finish second and third in the LMP1 Privateer Trophy behind the Swiss Rebellion Racing squad with Strakka racing claiming just one class victory.

2013

Muscle Milk Pickett Racing would continue with the HPD ARX-03a for the first three rounds of the 2013 ALMS season before moving to the updated -03c package for the remainder of the year. The team would claim eight wins in ten races losing out to Rebellion Racing and Audi Sport Team Joest at Sebring and suffering an overheating issue that took them out of the season ending Petit Le Mans. Extreme Speed Motorsports would join the Level 5 Motorsports team in LMP2 with the ex-Starworks -03b and another brand new chassis for 2013. Level 5 would claim wins at every race except Long Beach where they were beat out by ESM. Muscle Milk claimed the LMP1 Teams' and Drivers' Championship and Level 5 claimed the LMP2 Teams' and Drivers' Championship.

Strakka Racing would be the only team to campaign an HPD car in the 2013 season of the FIA WEC and would only campaign the first three rounds. The team retired the car at Silverstone due to damage but would go on to finish second in the privateer ranks and Spa Francorchamps and first at Le Mans in front of rival Rebellion Racing.

Competition history

Complete American Le Mans Series results

(key) Races in bold indicates pole position. Races in italics indicates fastest lap.

Year	Entrant	Class	Drivers	No.	Rds.	Rounds										Pts.	Pos.
						1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
2012	Muscle Milk Pickett Racing	P1	Klaus Graf Lucas Luhr Simon Pagenaud Romain Dumas	6	All All 1 10	SEB 2†	LBH 1	LGA 1	LRP 1	MOS 1	MOH 1	RAM 2	BGP 3†	VIR 1	PLM 3	195	1st
	Level 5 Motorsports	P2	Scott Tucker Luis Díaz Ryan Hunter-Reay Franck Montagny Ricardo González Christophe Bouchut	95	All 1-5, 7-10 1 3 6, 8 10	SEB Ret	LBH 3	LGA 1	LRP DNS	MOS	MOH 3	RAM 4	BGP 2	VIR DSQ	PLM 1	203	1st
		P2	Scott Tucker Christophe Bouchut João Barbosa Franck Montagny Dario Franchitti Marino Franchitti	055	All 1-9 1-2 3 10 10	SEB 1	LBH 1	LGA 3	LRP 1	MOS 2	MOH 1	RAM 3	BGP 1	VIR 1	PLM 2
2013	Muscle Milk Pickett Racing	P1	Klaus Graf Lucas Luhr Romain Dumas	6	All All 1, 10	SEB 4	LBH 1	LAG 1	LRP 1	MOS 1	ELK 1	BAL 1	COA 1	VIR 1	PET Ret	182	1st
	Extreme Speed Motorsports	P2	Scott Sharp Guy Cosmo David Brabham Anthony Lazzaro	01	All 1-6 1, 10 7-10	SEB 5	LBH 1	LAG 3	LRP 2	MOS 2	ELK 2	BAL 2	COA 4	VIR 2	PET 2	166	2nd
		P2	Ed Brown Johannes van Overbeek Anthony Lazzaro Rob Bell	02	All All 1 10	SEB 4	LBH 2	LAG Ret	LRP 4	MOS 4	ELK Ret	BAL 3	COA 3	VIR Ret	PET 4
	Level 5 Motorsports	P2	Scott Tucker Ryan Briscoe Marino Franchitti Simon Pagenaud	551	All 1-2, 4, 7-10 1, 3, 5, 10 6	SEB 1	LBH 3	LAG 1	LRP 1	MOS 1	ELK 1	BAL Ret	COA 1	VIR 1	PET 1	199	1st
		P2	Scott Tucker Ryan Hunter-Reay Simon Pagenaud Marino Franchitti Ryan Briscoe Mike Conway Ricardo González Guy Cosmo Stefan Johansson Jonny Kane Peter Dumbreck	552	1-8 1 1 2, 4, 6-9 3 5 6 7-10 9 10 10	SEB 2	LBH 4	LAG 2	LRP 3	MOS 3	ELK 2	BAL 1	COA 2	VIR 3	PET 3
Sources:

Complete United SportsCar Championship results

(key) Races in bold indicates pole position. Races in italics indicates fastest lap.

Year	Entrant	Class	Drivers	No.	Rds.	Rounds											Pts.	Pos.
						1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11
2014	Extreme Speed Motorsports	P	Ryan Dalziel Scott Sharp David Brabham	1	1–5, 7–10 1–5, 7–10 1–2	DAY 15	SEB 2	LBH 6	LGA 11	DET 5	WGL 10	MOS 8	IMS 5	ELK 3	COA	PET	10th	228
			Ed Brown Johannes van Overbeek Simon Pagenaud Anthony Lazzaro	2	1–5, 7–10, 12 1–5, 7–10, 12 1–2 1, 7	DAY 7	SEB 5	LBH 7	LGA 1	DET 7	WGL 11	MOS 7	IMS 7	ELK 8	COA 4	PET	7th	262
2015	Tequila Patrón ESM	P	Scott Sharp Ryan Dalziel David Heinemeier Hansson	1	2 2 2	DAY	SEB 9	LBH	LGA	DET	WGL	MOS	ELK	COA	PET		45*	12th*
			Ed Brown Jon Fogarty Johannes van Overbeek	2	2 2 2	DAY	SEB 8	LBH	LGA	DET	WGL	MOS	ELK	COA	PET		42*	13th*
Sources:

* Points were scored with the ARX-04b

Gallery

• HPD ARX 03a, JRM
• HPD ARX 03a, Muscle Milk Pickett
• HPD ARX-03b, Starworks
• HPD ARX-03b, Level 5

References

1. "Muscle Milk Pickett Racing turns to HPD for ALMS assault". americanlemans.com. American Le Mans Series. 2011-12-19. Retrieved 2012-01-04.
2. Mercier, Laurent (2011-12-26). "Le premier équipage Level 5 Motorsports connu..." endurance-info.com (in French). Endurance-Info. Archived from the original on 2012-01-08. Retrieved 2012-01-04.
3. "Strakka Racing to enter WEC with new HPD ARX-03a". Planet Le Mans. 2011-09-11. Retrieved 2012-01-04.
4. ^ "Complete Archive of HPD ARX-03". Racing Sports Cars. pp. 1, 2, 3, 4. Archived from the original on 11 February 2023. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
5. "2013 AMERICAN LE MANS SERIES PRESENTED BY TEQUILA PATRÓN CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STANDINGS" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on April 4, 2024. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
6. "2014 TUDOR Championship Official Points REVISED.pdf" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
7. "2015 TUDOR Championship Points Standings - Official.pdf" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 17 May 2024.

External links

• HPD ARX-03a - Racecar Engineering, HPD ARX-03a, 14 March 2012

• Honda vehicles
• Le Mans Prototypes
• 24 Hours of Le Mans race cars